Nationalist backbencher Franco Debono has upped the ante on his criticism of shortcomings in the justice and home affairs sectors by putting the issues on Parliament’s agenda in a private member’s motion.
Dr Debono yesterday presented a 22-point list of criticisms and proposals when giving notice of a parliamentary motion to the Clerk of the House.
The motion was presented just four days after Dr Debono abstained on a vote of no confidence in Transport Minister Austin Gatt and hours before a vote of confidence in the government was debated.
But when contacted, Dr Debono played down suggestions that his decision to file the motion was too close for comfort to the tumultous events of the past week that have embarrassed the government.
“This is a positive motion,” he insisted, adding it did not require a vote because it called for a debate. “All I am interested in is putting the issues that I have been talking about for years on Parliament’s agenda.” This was his way of “helping the government implement positive measures” before the electorate delivered its judgement in an election. The motion says that, despite repeated calls for action to be taken on the various issues raised, “nothing has been done or things are moving ahead very slowly”.
Asked to react to the contents of the motion, the Justice and Home Affairs Ministry said some observations made by Dr Debono “warrant further discussion in Parliament” while others were already in the process of being implemented.
The ministry’s actions have often been at the centre of Dr Debono’s criticism during court cases, in Parliament and in the media. In December 2009, Dr Debono had stayed away from Parliament when two votes were being taken to drive home the point that the right of access to a lawyer before police interrogations had to be introduced. The minister signed the relevant legislation two months later just before Parliament was due to debate an opposition motion highlighting the issue raised by Dr Debono.
But Dr Debono yesterday insisted his actions were driven by the issues he championed and had nothing to do with the minister. The argument was being used to shift the onus of responsibility on those raising matters of concern, he said.
Backbencher’s wish list
• Union representation of policemen.
• Settle police overtime arrears.
• Separate the investigation and prosecution functions of the police.
• Give the police DNA equipment and a proper forensic laboratory.
• Create a pool of specialist inquiring magistrates.
• The right for the presence of a lawyer during police interrogation.
• Revise and better define the role of the Attorney General.
• Revise the procedure for appointing judges, including the required experience, the retirement age and working conditions.
• Re-examine impeachment procedure and the Commission for the Administration of Justice as an effective means of checks and balances.
• Bring into force the Act for Reparative Justice.
• Discuss whether the authority to allow tapping in criminal investigations should be transferred from the minister to the courts.
• Remove criminal libel and increase maximum damages in civil libel cases.
• Tighten entry requirements for the law course at the University.
• Revise the Juvenile Court and set up a specialised Drugs Court.
• Consolidate the Parliamentary Committee on the Codification of Laws.